ROMANESQUE ART
1099-1184 ROMANESQUE ART
11 important aspects of Romanesque architecture
1.“Romanesque” is the first international style since the Roman Empire. Also known as the “Norman” style in England
2.Competition among cities for the largest churches, which continues in the Gothic period via a “quest for height.”
3.Masonry (stone) the preferred medium. Craft of concrete essentially lost in this period. Rejection of wooden structures or structural elements.
4. East end of church the focus for liturgical services, west end for the entrance to church. ROMANESQUE ART
5.Church portals as “billboards” for scripture or elements of faith.
6.Cruciform plans. Nave and transept at right angles to one another. Church as a metaphor for heaven.
7. Elevation of churches based on basilica forms, but with the nave higher than the side aisles.
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8. Interiors articulated by repetitive series of moldings. Heavy masonry forms seem lighter with applied decoration.
9. Bays divide the nave into compartments
10.Round-headed arches the norm.
11.Small windows in comparison to buildings to withstand weight
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Durham Cathedral Durham, England 1093-c. 1133 ROMANESQUE
North door of Durham Cathedral ROMANESQUE ART „Sanctuary‟ door knocker (replica)
Durham is the only cathedral in England to retain almost all of its Norman craftsmanship, and one of few to preserve the unity and integrity of its original design. The northern front of the Cathedral is 496 feet (143 meters) in length from west to east. The nave, quire and transepts are all Norman; it is the oldest surviving building with a stone vaulted ceiling of such a large scale. The western towers date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The original medieval sanctuary knocker can be seen in the treasury; a replica hangs at the north porch door.
Durham Cathedral, East aisle ROMANESQUE ART intersection of 2 kinds of vaulting
In Durham you can see the transition from Romanesque (rounded arches with heavy piers for support) to Gothic (pointed arches, lighter piers). In some instances they abut each other, showing how architecture evolved in just 40 years of construction. And the variety of carving on the piers—some of which may be modeled on the original St. Peter’s in Rome—shows the sophisticated variety of carving styles available to Romanesque artisans. Sorry that some of the pictures are sketchy but photography is not currently allowed in Durham, so these were, um, sort of taken accidentally. Yeah, accidentally. That’s the ticket.
Durham Cathedral, nave and traces of medieval colors; ROMANESQUE ART the “Solomon” column & Cuthbert shrine column
It amazes me to think what this would have looked like in the day, with all of these details painted in bright colors. ROMANESQUE ART
Church of St. Etienne Caen, France 1115-1120 ROMANESQUE
West facade of Saint-Étienne, ROMANESQUE ART Caen, France, begun 1067
Most critics consider the abbey church of Saint-Étienne at Caen the masterpiece of Norman Romanesque architecture. It was begun by William of Normandy in 1067 and must have advanced rapidly, as he was buried there in 1087.
The spires were added to the towers during the Gothic age in an attempt to bring the structure closer to the heavens.
The use of these groin vaults gave the interior a more spacious feel, and allowed for the addition of large windowed arches in the third story. The result reduced the interior wall suface and gave Saint-Étienne’s nave a light and airy quality that is unusual in the Romanesque period. Vaulted Ceilings
Ribs
Tribune / Gallery
Clustered Piers
Ambulatory
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This church was first constructed Aerial view (southeast) of Saint-Sernin, in the honor of the city’s first Toulouse, France ca 1070-1120 bishop, Saint Saturninus (Saint Sernin in French), who was martyred in the middle of the third century.
This church served as an important stop for pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Pilgrims would flock to this church by the masses, and the church had been designed specifically to accommodate them.
The plan of this church closely resembles that of Santiago de Compostela’s and Saint Martin at Tours and exemplifies what has come to be called the “pilgrimage type”.
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Aerial view (southeast) of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France ca 1070-1120 radiating chapels ambulatory transept upper galleries (tribunes) large nave Cathedral Complex, Pisa, Italy ROMANESQUE ART cathedral begun 1063, baptistry begun 1153, campanile begun 1174
Save for the upper portion of the baptistry, with its remodeled Gothic exterior, the three structures are stylistically Romanesque.
The construction of this cathedral in Pisa began in the same year as that of Saint Mark’s in Venice.
The goal of the project was not only to create a monument to God, but also to bring credit to the city.
The cathedral’s campanile, detached in the standard Italian fashion, is the famous “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. The tilted vertical axis is the result of a settling foundation. It began to “lean” even while under construction and The “Leaning Tower” is highly complex in its rounded form, now inclines some twenty-one feet out as its stages are marked by graceful arcaded galleries that of plumb at the top. repeat the cathedral‟s facade motif and effectively relate the tower to its mother building.
Pisa Baptistry, Pisa, Italy ROMANESQUE ART baptistry begun 1153
ITALIAN ROMANESQUE
Italian provinces developed a great diversity of Romanesque architectural styles.
Tuscan and Roman churches featured classical Corinthian capitals and acanthus borders, as well as colored marble in geometric patterns; open arcades, colonnades, and galleries; and facades with sculptures in relief.
In southern Italy, a rich style combining Byzantine, Roman, Arabic, Lombard, and Norman elements was created, with lavish use of mosaic decorations and interlaced pointed-arch arcades.
Pisa Cathedral Complex – Pisa, Italy (begun in 1063) ROMANESQUE Christ in Majesty, Saint- Pierre ROMANESQUE ART Moissac, France, ca 1115-1135
This frieze, in southwestern France, announces the end of the human race (the Last Judgment)
This church was an important stop along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Campostela.
The monks, enriched by the gifts of pilgrims and noble benefactors, adorned their church and its cloister, with one of the most extensive series of sculptures of the Romanesque age. cloister: a special place for religious seclusion- used by monks
Christ occupies the center of the composition and is again flanked by the symbols of the Four Evangelists.
(Left) eagle, ox (Right) angel, lion Gislebertus, Last Judgment ROMANESQUE ART (from Saint-Lazzare) Autun, France ca 1120-1135
This scene depicts the Judgment in progress, announced by four trumpet- blowing angels.
Once again, Christ sits enthroned in the center of the tympanum in a mandorla that angels support. He presides over the separation of the Blessed from the Damned.
On the left, when facing the tympanum, an obliging angel boosts one of the Blessed into the heavenly city. Below, the souls of the dead are lined up to await their fate.
On the left end of the lintel, two men carry bags with a cross and shell, symbolic of the pilgrims to Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. Those who had made the difficult journey would be judged favorably. To Christ’s left, are all those condemned to Hell. One poor soul is To thier right of the two men are three plucked from the earth by giant hands. small figures begging to an angel to Angels and devils contest at the scales, each trying to manipulate intercede on their behalf. The angel the balance for or against a soul. responds by pointing to the Judge above.
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Modena Cathedral Modena, Italy 1099-1110 ROMANESQUE
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Wiligelmo, Creation and Temptation of Adam and Eve, Modena Cathedral, Italy, 1110. ROMANESQUE ROMANESQUE ART
ENGLISH ROMANESQUE Before the 10th century, most English buildings were wood; stone buildings were small and roughly constructed. The Norman Romanesque style replaced the Saxon style in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, and from about 1120 to 1200, builders erected monumental Norman Durham Cathedral structures, including numerous churches and cathedrals. The long, narrow buildings were constructed with heavy walls and piers, rectangular apses, double transepts, and deeply recessed portals. Naves were covered with flat roofs, later replaced by vaults, and side aisles were usually covered with groined vaults.
Canterbury Cathedral